Last Auto News – First Drives: 2011 Hyundai Sonata

Last Auto News –

Hyundai has launched a series of successful new vehicles in recent years, including a sports coupe that has attracted the attention of auto enthusiasts (the Genesis Coupe), and an entry-level luxury sedan that was named North American Car of the Year last year (the Genesis sedan). But if the company truly hopes to join the ranks of elite automakers, it knows that it needs to succeed with something that doesn’t fit into a niche market. It needs to build a family sedan that attracts millions – a world-class Affordable Midsize Car..

The Hyundai Sonata has been a respectable entry in to the Camry/Accord/Fusion segment for the last few years, but never a top competitor. This month, however, Hyundai will release an entirely new model, intended to vault the Sonata into that elite class. The automotive press gets behind the wheel of the 2011 Sonata for the first time this week, and early reports are positive.

Autoblog comments, “Completely redesigned for 2011, the Sonata is freshly styled and more spacious than its predecessor.” They’re particularly impressed with the look of the car. “Interesting and stylish, the Sonata offers an engaging mix of traditional sedan and four-door coupe rolled into one,” they write. “The exterior is unique, rather exhilarating, and it looks downright expensive. We like it.”

That impression carries over into the cabin, where Autoblog sees “a much more modern (um, futuristic?) looking cockpit.”

Edmunds Inside Line likes what it sees inside. “Dominating the surroundings are low-gloss materials that minimize annoying reflections and, well, just plain look better than the plasti-chrome that’s all the rage these days,” the write. “It’s all rather handsome and functional in the cabin,” though the do cite a few “missteps,” including “overly flat front seats.”

Hyundai has made the unusual decision to offer only a four-cylinder engine with the Sonata, with no option for a V6. Automobile Magazine thinks the gamble will pay off. “This engine is muscular enough to provide punchy response without the driver mercilessly caning it,” they report. Forgoing a V6 allowed the automaker to build a lighter car, since it doesn’t need the bulky supports for the heavier engine. That improves handling. Automobile comments, “the Sonata turns in crisply, resisting body roll and understeer better than you’d expect from a mainstream midsize sedan. Body motions are well damped, both on winding roads and on the freeway.” The steering, they write “has pleasant heft and commendable precision.”

Those who want more power than a four-cylinder engine can provide, however, may have just a short wait. Inside Line notes, “Two other powertrains — a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a hybrid — will be revealed in detail at this year’s New York auto show.”

Motor Trend is impressed. “On paper, it racks up enough best-in-class points to whoop the competition without breaking a sweat,” they say. “On the road, we found the Sonata to be a strong contender with its bold new styling and a new sporty demeanor, but with arguably a little less grace and refinement than the outgoing model.”

The 2011 Sonata reaches dealerships this month – yes, a 2011, in February of 2010 – with prices ranging from just under $20,000 to over $26,000.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.